For those underclassmen students who do not have the opportunity to bring a car to campus, they do not need to fear, for the Fairfield University Stag Bus is there to take them to various locations throughout the heart of downtown Fairfield. Departing from outside the Barone Campus Center in Loyola Circle, this daily off-campus shuttle travels to numerous locations along Post Road.
According to the Fairfield University Transportation and Parking Website, the Stag Bus makes quick and convenient stops at the Fairfield Train Station, the Town Green, Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, CVS and Marshalls. To cater to as many students as possible, this off-campus shuttle travels every day beginning at 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Most often, I depart the bus near the Fairfield University Bookstore to spend an immense amount of money on an extra large iced coffee (that I probably do not need!) at the in-store Starbucks.
As beneficial as the Stag Bus is to all Fairfield University students, there are a few areas that could be improved upon that I have experienced as a passenger. Since the beginning of the Fall 2024 Semester, the Stag Bus has begun taking a new route through Fairfield and now travels through Bridgeport. The once 20-30 minute ride has now become a 40-50 minute ride and I am not sure about you, but that bus ride makes me quite nauseous! The jarring twists and turns, as well as the random highway merging and acceleration, makes my stomach queasy. With everything considered, I believe that the new route the Stag Bus takes this semester runs on an unreliable schedule, lacks efficiency and discounts the opinions of students.
For one, the irregular schedule of the Stag Bus is a glaring problem. Since the Transloc App is not always accurate (the app that tracks the current location of the Stag Bus), one can never truly predict when the Stag Bus will be there to pick them up from places such as the Town Green or grocery store. If a student has a busy schedule filled with classes, club meetings and office hours, they cannot simply jump on the bus, grab a necessity and be back at campus within an hour. Since the new, typical ride on the Stag Bus waivers from 40-50 minutes end to end, a student must devote more than 2 full hours to a simple convenience store run.
Another major problem with this new off-campus shuttle route is its inefficiency. The route itself covers areas with limited student population such as the residential street in Bridgeport, while bypassing more populated streets with stops students may desire to depart at. For example, the bus travels down Reef Road, only 2-3 minutes away from Jennings Beach, yet makes a hard right turn and travels all the way back to the Town Green.
The question arises of why the bus would make a seemingly unnecessary detour towards the beach, yet not stop to let students off that want to enjoy the close proximity to the beach offered by Fairfield. Also, current Fairfield students who live on or near the beach may find it convenient to grab a ride on the Stag Bus from town to the university, but do not have the ability to because of this updated route. It is frustrating to see a bus route presumably designed with convenience in mind not reach the locations where it is most needed.
Lastly, the routinely revised Stag Bus route never seems to take into account the input or opinions of those who may ride the bus on a daily basis. Students who travel home on the weekends by means of train may arrive at the station during inconvenient times. Those traveling students could miss their departing train due to the longer bus ride this semester and inability to track the buses’ arrival times through the Transloc App. To me, the current route seems like an afterthought, rather than a thought out solution for students who face commuting challenges and lack access to a car on campus.
All in all, the newly instated Stag Bus route through the town of Fairfield as well as Bridgeport lacks efficiency and is impractical. The unreliable schedule, poor tracking on the Transloc App and the university’s failure to listen to student opinions of what they would like in a route are the major issues affecting this campus wide problem. Who knows, maybe next semester the Stag Bus will alter its route yet again, and a long, nauseating ride will be a distant memory of the past.
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